Apparatus for steaming cloth



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.. O. OOUPLAND.

APPARATUS FOR STBAMING CLOTH.

Patented 001;. 5,1886,

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. GOUPLAND.

APPARATUS FOR STEAMING CLOTH.

Patented Oct. 5, 1-886.

N. PEIERS, Phmo-Limn n nur, Walhinglnn. n. c.

UNTTED STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

CHARLES OOUPLAND, OF SEYMOUR, CONNECTICUT.

APPARATUS FOR STEAMING CLOTH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 850,187, dated October 5, 1886.

Application filed October 5, 1885. Serial No. 179,001. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES COUPLAND, of Seymour, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Apparatus for Steaming Cloth, of which the following is a specification.

Woven cloths, and especially piled fabrics, have been subjected to the action of steam for raising the nap. In this operation considerable time is consumed in hanging the cloth in such a manner that the steam has access to all parts of it, and large and costly structures have been required for this operation. Besides this, the cloth is often injured by drops of water falling upon the same from the condensation of the steam.

The object of my present invention is to overcome the aforesaid difficulties by facilitating the hanging up of the cloth and the removal of the same, and by maintaining a sufficiently high temperature to prevent any condensation of steam, and at the same time to increase the rapidity of the steaming operation.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of the apparatus complete. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan of the cloth-holder, and Fig.3is a plan of the base of the machine below the line .90 x.

I make use of a central standard, A, near the top of which is an inverted conical cloth-holder, B, said cloth-holder having upon its under surface ranges ofsmall hooks, as shown in Fig. 2, said small hooks being adapted to the reception and support of the cloth by penetrating one edge thereof. These ranges of hooks are in the form of a volute or spiral, in order that one range of books may be out of the Way of the edge of the cloth while being hooked upon the next range of hooks, and the clothholder can be revolved upon the vertical standard A, so that the attendant in suspending the cloth hooks the selvage at one end of the piece upon the hook that is lowest down and nearest to the center of the inverted conical clothholder, and he proceeds to revolve such clothholder and to present the edge of the cloth so that the hooks will enter near the selvage, and thereby suspend the cloth, and this operation is continued until the whole piece of cloth is suspended from the under side of the clothholder in the form of an open spiral or volute. The different convolutions of the cloth, however, do not touch each other, and there is sufficient space for thesteam to circulate upwardly between such convolutions of the cloth. The reverse movement allows for the cloth. being pulled off as the cloth-holder is revolved after the steaming operation has been performed. This cloth-holder suspends a piece of cloth in a very small compass, and allows for the hang-- ing up or removal of the cloth much more rap idly than in machines heretofore constructed.

It is preferable to make use of a grooved flange, 0, upon the standard A for the reception of anti-friction balls 0, forming a bearing that supports a similar flange, 0, attached to the bottom and central part of the clothholder B. The standard A is tubular and provided with a cock, D, below the bottom of the apparatus, and there are openings 3 into this tubular standard at the level of the grooved flange 0, so that any water of condensation that may be upon either the upper or lower surfaces of the cloth-holder may run down and escape by the tubular standard, and not drip upon the cloth.

The aforesaid cloth'holder and tubular standard may be employed with any suitable casing and steam-supplying devices. I however prefer to use a hollow base, E, through which the standard A passes, and into which asteampipe, F, enters to supply steam to a perforated ring, G, around the standard A. The supply of steam is regulated by a cock, F, and the steam issues from the perforations in the ring G and passes up between the folds of the cloth, and I use an annular cover, H, over the steam-ring, the same being supported by suitable legs and acting to prevent drops of water issuing with the steam from reaching the cloth that is suspended above such steam-pipe, and there is a pipe and cock, 70, through which water of condensation may be drawn off. The upper edge of the base E is formed as a flange, L, upon which rests the flange M at the bottom of the inclosing-case N, this case N being sufficiently large to cover and pass freely down around the cloth-holder and cloth, and there is to be arubber or other packing, L between the flanges L and M, to make a tight joint.

This inclosing case is counterpoised by a weight upon a chain or rope, P, that passes over the pulleys Q, so that the case can be easily raised or lowered. It is guided in its up and down movements by the vertical rods R, that pass through and are fastened in the flange L, and the guides M and S upon the case N and jacket Vslide upon these rods, and when this inclosing-case has been lowered to place, it is preferably secured by keys passed through mortises 5 in the guide-rods B. This-- case N retains the steam while the same is acting upon the suspended cloth, and a safetyvalve is preferably employed at T,to avoid risk from too great pressure.

If this apparatus is used in a hot room a stearnjacket around the inclosing-case will not bercquired; but usually I provide the same, as shown at c, the steam being supplied to the jacket through the pipe 0, and the water of condensation passing off by the pipe 12 the connections to these respective pipes being made by either flexible tubes or telescopic tubes l. Acloth-holder in the form of an inverted cone having hooks upon itsunder surface arranged spirally or as a volute, in combination with a central support upon which the clothholder can be revolved in applying or removing the cloth, and a surrounding case and steam-supply pipe, substantially as set forth.

2. The tubular standard A, having around the same a flange and ball-bearings, in combination with a cloth-holder in the form of an inverted cone and hooks upon such clothholder arranged as a volute, there being an opening into the tubular standard for passing away any water of condensation, substantially as set forth. i

3. The standard A'andinverted conical clothholder with hooks upon its under surface, in

combination 'with a base and steam-supply pipe, and an inclosing'case resting upon the base and surrounding the cloth-holder and cloth, and means for raising andlowering such inclosing-case, substantially as set forth.

4. The tubular standard vA, an inverted conical cloth-holder, B, and hooks upon its under surface, in combination with the hollow base F, perforated steam-supplying ring G, deflector H above the same, the movable inclosing-case N, guide-rods R, and a steamjacket and pipes connected to the same around the case N, substantially as set forth.

5. The means herein specified for suspending a piece of cloth from one edge and for allowingit to be put in place or removed rapidly, consisting in a ce'ntralsupport, a volute range of suspending-pins, and an inverted conical support for the same, so that the volute ranges as they increase in diameter are successively higher up,'for the purposesset forth.

. Signed by me this 17th day of September, A. D. 1885.

o'iarzintns, COUPLAND.

V Witnesses:

S. HART OULvER, H; L. EDWARDS. 

